Spellbound
by Alis Volat Propris
Summary: Halloween challenge: He supposed it could not be helped as he tolerated the feelings coursing through him. He had accepted that she was different from the others.


AN: Halloween challenge I decided to do for myself. My first ulquihime ficlet.

Ulquiorra Schiffer was not sure what human terminology would be used to describe himself in this particular fashion. Not that their language was anything but meaningless trash, but he was forced to be a part of this world, due to the onna's interference, a blame he laid solely at her feet. The same technique and alien trash that kept her friends alive had also ressurected him, but not as he had originally been. Unfamiliar with human culture and interpretation of such words, Ulquiorra would not put himself forward only to be made a fool.

The onna would and had used vocabulary such as dignified, reserved, and graceful in her language when she spoke of him to her friends at school, the same school he now masqueraded about as a high school student. Her_ friends _would use the words antisocial, psychotic, and sociopathic. Whatever Ulquiorra would use, the harshness of Hueco Mundo would not be far from his definition in the midst of this chaos. His battles in Hueco Mundo had been tamer than the efforts of these small children things running amuck in the streets. How had he been convinced into such foolery and madness as this?

Humans celebrated a holiday dedicated to costumed children running around collecting various amounts of candy from other humans in copious amounts, but only on one singular evening thus the reason for their hoarding and pillaging of these houses. This he hypothesized was to simulate battle for their fledglings to assimilate into later. He had never been given such a luxury as a mock battle, but he was beginning to wonder. Humans he came to understand, were attacked their targets with such ferocity that even he was taken aback by their aggression. After all he had experienced it first hand, sacrificed his existence. These children were ambitious creatures. His onna was no less a worthy adversary. With a penchant for delectable sweet treats, she would not be outdone. And thus he had been singlehandedly dragged about half the night with one Inoue Orihime in tow bearing her pillow case of candy. Which was nearly full.

"This is great! I'll have enough cooking supplies for the whole year!"

Verdant eyes narrowed slightly, as his lip curled, the only visible sign of his displeasure. How had he been talked into such nonsense in the first place? His eyes fixed on the ginger colored hair of the onna. Clawed hands reached out to trail her long hair, tendrils soft and sweet smelling.

…...

"It will be fun" Orihime had declared, lollipop twirling in her mouth, her laughter peals of bells resounding as she turned in her school uniform. Her bright smile graced her soft lips currently moist from the delectable treat hanging from them making them somehow appealing though he could not fathom why.

Ulquiorra would have eyed her with something akin to displeasure had he not been so distracted with what her bright pink tongue was doing to said mortal treat.

"You'll love Halloween! You can release your full self and feel more at home here!" Inoue gushed.

The onna could get excited about breathing, with her tireless enthusiasm.

…...

Ulquiorra had been skeptical, but now in the evening of all hallows eve he could understand why the onna was not in the least bit concerned about his appearences, a matter usually of dire importance to his charade of mortality. After receiving several compliments on his "costume" Ulquiorra was convinced that all humans were stupidly naïve.

"It is fascinating what your race does not understand. When faced with the truth, It would appear that they merely do not wish to." Ulquiorra commented.

He was still able to access his final released form, though his powers had significantly decreased. He was wretched in this state, but his powers were still present, thus keeping the small child things at arms length simply by his aura and looks. He could be quite terrifying when he wanted to be, but this seemed to upset the onna when he did it. Ulquiorra marvelled at the reasoning behind such illogical nonsense. For some reason, his fierceness had an effect on the children, which he viewed as worthless from the start, this did not seem to keep Inoue Orihime from him. She was simply unafraid of him, no matter what terminology he used, or how he approached her. He theorized that if his hollow form could not keep her from him, it was illogical to think this form would. And Ulquiorra, after considering the circumstances he was now finding himself in, would not tolerate being distanced from her, for Inoue Orihime managed to get herself into exceeding amounts of problematic encounters at all hours of the day. She needed constant supervsion. She accomplished all of this without a conscious effort, though Ulquiorra was beginning to have his doubts.

"I think people just want to be happy." Inoue replied, with a smile and a shrug.

It did not matter, in the end. She had ressurected him, and thus he was indebted to serve her. Aizen was dead and it appeared all of the hollows were gone as well. Hueco mundo was out of reach, and even if he could return, what would he return to, or as? This form would not be as effective as his previous and might not survive the harsh climate of Hueco Mundo. He also had nothing to return to. Ulquiorra had no sentimental attatcments to Aizen any longer. He had served him loyally, if not faithfully while he was still a hollow, the pressure from the hougyoku exerted on his will, overriding his own senses as the fanatical shinsengumi had proclaimed himself ruler of Hueco Mundo and built up his empire.

Perhaps he had underestimated the tenacity in which these humans lived their lives. Certainly he had underestimated the abilities of one ginger haired girl. While she was somewhat tolerable as the scum of this world went, he did not choose how he was ressurected and would not look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying among these humans went. So Ulquiorra, through an effort of clearly exerted will, barely tolerated the abuse of children swarming near him and Inoue, occasionally giving a menacing glare and a clenching of claws to the more avid admirers. One of the children ran over another smaller child, causing the little one to fall. She began to wail in earnest, shedding those saline droplets streaming down her chubby cheeks. The onna had shed those very same tears over him when she had thought him dead.

Inoue Orihime was not like the rest of this chaff. She was kind, compassionate and self sacrificing. She cared deeply about her friends, her attachments to this plane of existence and she fought to protect them though more often than not her strength was lacking. In Hueco Mundo he had thought her naïve, ignorant and completely weak. She was trash to be disposed of. Now as he watched her lean over the tiny toddler, asking if she was alright as she looked to her with a soft smile, he knew his first assumptions had been incorrect. Certainly she was not the strongest of her kind. His lip curled, fangs sharp as he thought of her orange haired compatriot with unconcealed contempt. Perhaps he mused as he had read through what humans considered philosophy, it was that she had a strength of a different kind.

For Inoue Orihime seemed to be master of these feelings. She felt most ardently of everything and anything. She was in touch with what humans would refer to as the heart, perhaps even the soul of a human. Why the heart was significant he could not understand. He had been a hollow, something without a soul, or the capacity of these humans. Now he was something else entirely and the incessant thoughts flowed daily, continued, as he spent time with her. Even as she leaned over the child, he was forced to admire her form. As far as humans went, Inoue Orihime would be considered quite lovely. She was lithe, though certainly not athletic, and her curvaceous figure was something several of the students at their highschool had noticed and more than one had tried their advances.

Ulquiorra had exerted his own dominance over those worthless beings, thinking they were worthy enough to encounter her. It was simple really. She had ressurected him. He would tolerate no disrespect of her from others he considered beneath himself. It was his sincerity for her protection that kept him from being destroyed by her friends upon his return to existence. Inoue had stood in front of him, refusing to allow her friends to destroy him. Why? Why was she so willing to protect someone like him? He had taken her captive. Certainly he had not been malevolently cruel to her, but he had not been particularly kind either.

With a simple reach, he had grabbed the perpetrator, much like one grabs a kitten, allowing his aura to fill this little spawnling with itinerant fear, claws grasping his costume as the child squealed in terror.

"Ulquiorra!" Inoue protested as she finally saw what he was doing. "Put him down!

"I could _dispose_ of this miscreant." He suggested eying her.

"I think he's already disposed himself enough." Inoue said with a hand over her mouth as she laughed. The child had sullied himself in his own waste. Ulquiorra dropped him none too carefully, disgusted, as he avoided the puddle, clawed apendages delicately laid upon Inoue's lower back, stearing her clear of the mess as the child ran of shrieking.

"I tire of this hallows eve. Do you have enough treats, Orihime?" He asked her.

Inoue nodded, with a smile as the smaller injured child shyly waved and ran off.

"That was very sweet of you,Ulquiorra san." She told him, gazing up at him from her long black lashes.

Ulquiorra was surprised by the warmth that surged in him at her gratefulness, her sincerity. There were some humans who would arbitrarily lie to gain his favor or approval. Inoue was not one of these.

He supposed it could not be helped as he tolerated the feelings coursing through him. He had accepted that she was different from the others. Some might even call it a magical spell, the useless words of her kind to describe things they could not aptly understand in this realm. He wasn't sure he would ever understand it, so perhaps it was not as far fetched of a thought process as he had likely proposed. He felt her arms wrap around his neck, their weight a welcome burden upon him, her lips placing a delicate kiss on his cheek. Heat rising and surging, he knew that if he did not get her home quickly there would be consequences to pay. Picking her up before she could protest, he launched into the air, spreading his wings and with a leap was soaring over the buildings, his silhouette in the moonlight fitting for a night like this.


End file.
